Results for category "EIFF 2012"

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has announced the continuation of Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara’s tenure, initially for a further three years. The appointment was announced following 2012’s successful EIFF that saw admissions of just over 40,000 across the 12-day event.

The 66th EIFF, Fujiwara’s first Festival as Artistic Director, hosted an international programme with 120 diverse new feature films, alongside two retrospectives, shorts programmes, a full industry programme, talent development labs, education initiatives and special events. Fujiwara also oversaw the return of the Michael Powell and International Awards to the Festival, as well as high-profile red carpet premieres at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre.

Commenting on his future at EIFF, Chris Fujiwara said: “Working on this year’s EIFF has been one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences of my career. The interest and enthusiasm of the Festival audience and the dedication and professionalism of the Festival staff and volunteers have transformed my view of the importance cinema can hold in people’s lives. I’m deeply grateful to the Board for their confidence in me, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our relationships with our audiences and with international filmmakers, distributors and sales agents. I’m very excited about working to shape the future of EIFF.”

On behalf of the EIFF Board which confirmed the appointment, Chair, Leslie Hills said: “EIFF is an institution with a reputation for reinvention over decades. Chris Fujiwara gave us a superb reinvention in EIFF 2012. Chris, along with the excellent support of staff and volunteers delivered, with his signature intelligence, knowledge and humour, a multi-faceted programme which engaged filmgoers and professionals, students and critics alike. We are utterly delighted that he has accepted our offer to build on this very promising first edition. “

The 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival announced the winners of this year’s awards. The Award for Best Film in the International Feature Competition was won by HERE, THEN, which received its World Premiere at EIFF. The Jury gave a Special Mention to PAPIROSEN by Gastón Solnicki.

The Jury citation read:“The Jury acknowledges the festival and its Artistic Director, Chris Fujiwara, for an outstanding, challenging and brave selection of films that included both fiction and documentaries and enabled us to watch the best of the world’s new cinema. Every work we had the privilege to see brought something new and extraordinary to us and choosing the best was a difficult task. After the final deliberations the jury unanimously decided to give the main prize to HERE, THEN by Mao Mao that had its World Premiere here at the EIFF. The special mention goes to the documentary PAPIROSEN by Gastón Solnicki from Argentina. PAPIROSEN is a real paradigm for why cinema remains relevant. There is beauty, pain and urgency in this film. For humanity to survive, the world must not forget. This film tells us that the greatest struggle of man is the struggle for the truth.”

Director Penny Woolcock was awarded The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film for her film ONE MILE AWAY which also received its World Premiere at the Festival. Woolcock said: “ONE MILE AWAY is about transforming and saving lives. Winning the Michael Powell award is a tremendous boost for us to help get the film and its message out to where it needs to be in our inner cities.”

The Jury citation read: “ONE MILE AWAY by Penny Woolcock is a brave and honest film tackling a huge problem with sensitivity and skill, not only charting the efforts to reconcile a community but also showing the great wealth of creativity that is part of that struggle. We are delighted to be able to recognise such a singular achievement.

ANDREA RISEBOROUGH and BRÍD BRENNAN jointly won Awards for Best Performance in a British Feature Film for their performances in James Marsh’s SHADOW DANCER, which had its UK Premiere last night.

In the shorts category, DINOSAUR EGGS IN THE LIVING ROOM by Rafael Urban (Brazil) won Best Film in the International Short Film Competition as voted for by Jury members Erwin Houtenbrink,Programme Consultant for the International Film Festival Bratislava, actor Ewen Bremner, and Javier Porta Fouz, Programmer of the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema.

In addition to the Best Film in International Short Film Competition Award, the Jury also commended two other films. The first Special Mention went to CARBON, directed by Craig Webster. Picking up two awards was director Will Anderson for his film THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD for which he won both Best Film in the British Short Film Competition and The McLaren Award for New British Animation. The Jury also gave a special acting commendation to TOM PHILLIPS in FUN TIMES by Joe Carter. The Student Critics Jury Award was awarded to Jang Kun-jae’s SLEEPLESS NIGHT.

In Disney Pixar’s latest film, young Scottish princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald) feels she is being pushed into a life she does not want and attempts to change it. This results in a chain of events that force the princess to fight for what is important to her.

The film has an all star cast including Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane and Craig Ferguson. As expected with such a cast, the voices are superb. Kelly MacDonald is believable as a young teenager and Coltrane, Ferguson and Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd are entertaining as the clan chiefs. While both Thompson and Walters hail from south of the border, both their characters have very believable Scottish accents.

The animation in Brave is also excellent. The landscapes are very similar to real life areas of the Highlands and look stunning in 3D. For viewers familiar with the area, the film will bring back memories of climbing hills and running through fields.

In terms of story the film is entertaining. There are a few unexpected twists and plenty of comedy. Although all audiences will find the film funny, there are elements of Scottish humour that will have Scottish viewers laughing every 2 minutes.

The soundtrack, which includes songs by Julie Fowlis and Mumford & Sons, is enjoyable and very appropriate for the film. Anyone familiar with Scottish music will be tapping their feet in time to the music early in the film.

Although Disney Pixar films are primarily aimed at children, Brave is a film that can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. For anyone that likes animated films, likes Scotland and appreciates good comedy this is a must see.

A Canadian/Danish co-production that tries to balance comedy and drama with a bizarre quirky story, which people would expect Tim Burton or Sam Raimi to make.

A former painting protégée Lars (Thure Lindhardt), has taken a teaching post at a struggling art school in remote Koda Lake. He falls for the school’s resident sculptress, Lesley (Georgina Reilly) and befriends disabled student Eddie (Dylan Smith). Lars agrees to look after Eddie in order, but he soon discovers that Eddie not only sleepwalks but eats people in the process. Lars finds the inspiration to begin painting again, covering Eddie’s tracks in order to keep on painting and reclaim his reputation.

The film is strange as it is not funny enough to be a comedy and the drama within the plot does not really go anywhere. The tone would work if the two elements were finely balanced, but the writer/director focuses either on comedy or drama for certain scenes. The acting is perfectly fine, but the only sympathetic character is Eddie himself, the others are deeply loathsome all trying to make their names or try to get something from somebody.

The film is enjoyable, but also forgettable at the same time. When it is funny it is funny, if more humour had been ejected more humour into the piece it would have worked better.

A trilogy of stories told by some of the world’s unique filmmaking talents told all in their own unique style.

Korine’s The Lotus Community Workshop, stars Val Kilmer as Val Kilmer. In the alternate reality of the film, he has quit acting to become a spiritual guru and motivational speaker. He lives in a giant mansion where he swims in the pool and plays video games with his young girlfriend (Rachel Korine).

Fedorchenko’s time travel story Chronoeye revolves around a man who is preoccupied with the past, and can see into it for short periods of time in very limited locations. But by focusing all his energy on his memories, he is missing out on the present and his future.

The animation looks great as anyone would expect from the studio who brought us Despicable Me. The songs are fun and very catchy. While the characters and the voice cast including the Granny (Betty White) and the villain (Rob Riggle) are all memorable, the film feels a bit flat even in 3D.

Kwiecinski’s Fauns is about a group of teenagers acting like they are the only people on Earth. But the town they live in has been evacuated and is about to be under water and they have decided not to leave.

The thing about this collection is that each story degrades in quality as it goes along. Korine’s film is easily the best as it is pretty fun to see Val Kilmer act as a more straightforward cartoon version of himself and is just the right length. Chronoeye has an interesting subject matter but simply loses what it is trying to say and goes on way too long. While Fauns is just simply boring and never seems to go anywhere with any of it’s loathsome characters.

An interesting experimental feature that at the end of the day is just not as exciting asa it sounds.

God Bless America****

Director Bobcat Goldthwait / 105 mins

After the fantastic World’s Greatest Dd, Bobcat makes a triumphant return to our screens with a tale of antihero we can all root for.

Frank (Joel Murray) has had enough of the downward spiral of American culture, which he sees as overrun with cruelty, stupidity and intolerance. Divorced, recently fired, and possibly terminally ill, Frank truly has nothing left to live for. But instead of taking his own life, he buys a gun and decides to take out his frustration on the cruelest, stupidest, most intolerant people he can imagine, starting with some particularly odious reality television stars. Frank finds an unusual accomplice in a high-school student named Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement, and together they embark on a nation-wide assault on our country’s dumbest, most irritating celebrities..

The film is similar to Killer Joe, expect that the tone is clearly more comedic and works better as a dark comedy. With Killer Joe it was hard not to feel really uneasy about the amusing things that happened to those characters. This movie is the complete opposite with every moment of over the top violence feeling more like a Tom and Jerry cartoon than anything that would be deemed offensive in the real world.

The performances are completely sublime with Murray and Barr making a great comedy pair. The characters are so likeable and funny it is really easy to root for them, even though no one should be supporting the act of killing another due to others thoughtlessness. But what makes the screenplay work is that things that Frank really becomes angry about, everyone can sympathise with.

The only minor flaw is once Frank and Roxy start to bond it starts to feel like another story. But overall a thoroughly rewarding and hilarious experience by a gifted writer director.

An extremely slow story of family life with an excellent performance by the one and only Elliott Gould.

Fred (Elliot Gould), an elderly man who has lived in his house for over fifty years with his wife, Susan (Judith Roberts) who suffers from Alzheimer’s. His grown-up children (Fred Melamed and Stephanie Roth Haberle) try to convince him to move to a care home with Susan, but he is determined that he is not ready to leave yet.

A simple tale that has some beautiful cinematography, great acting by the main leads, but the script is just not engaging enough even if the characters are sympathetic. The actual plot is nothing more than children going to see their parents over a couple of days. Even the Alzheimer’s angle is glossed over in favour of focussing on a stubborn old man. Writer/director Ledes does not know when scenes drag on to long, especially in one scene where the family are singing along to different songs that Susan likes which lasts for ten minutes with no progression of the character’s situations.

Gould may be perfectly cast in the role, but the film sadly is as exciting as a cardigan.

Dr Seuss’ The Lorax ***

Director Chris Renaud & Kyle Balda / 86 mins

Another adaptation of a classic Dr Seuss story which is colourful, but seems to be lacking something for all the family.

The film tells the story of a young boy Ted (Zac Efron), who in order to impress a girl (Ms. Swift) sets out to find an actual living tree. He goes to find a mysterious character called the Once-ler (Ed Helms) who knows about Thneedville’s missing trees. The hermit tells the tale of his own encounter with the cranky orange guardian of the forest the Lorax (Danny DeVito).

The animation looks great as anyone would expect from the studio who brought us Despicable Me. The songs are fun and very catchy. While the characters and the voice cast including the Granny (Betty White) and the villain (Rob Riggle) are all memorable, the film feels a bit flat even in 3D.

This could be that like the other adaptations, the filmmakers have tried to make a short story longer in order to make it feature length. But the story tends to drag as it goes along and several plot holes appear to show. They have also decided to add some additional characters which may annoy fans of the book. But the overall problem is unlike Pixar or even Dreamworks films, it does not appeal to adults as well as children with humour being more catered for a preschool audience.

There is nothing wrong with this, but it is disappointing that The Lorax could not be as enjoyable as The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or Horton Hears A Who.

Brake **

Director Gabe Torres / 91 mins

Audiences will have dispense with disbelief and memories of a certain other film about a man trapped in an enclosed space in order to enjoy this average thriller.

Federal Agent Jeremy Reins (Stephen Dorff) is about to have a very bad day. He wakes up in total darkness, confused and disoriented. The only light comes from the blood-red digital numbers ticking away above his head. It’s hard to breath. He can barely move and no one answers his cries for help. The sound of an engine can be heard, Jeremy discovers that he is trapped in the trunk of a moving car trapped in a glass box.

First of all the fact that someone can be put into a box and then a trunk is just ridiculous, especially since it would be impossible to fit that object into the back of a car . Even if we gloss over this fact, it is hard not to forget the movie Buried which had a normal civilian being trapped in a coffin. The character in that film was more sympathetic and was intensely claustrophobic.

Screenwriter Richard Mannion packs enough intriguing predicaments for the character, but the ending is not only predictable but is a complete letdown of all the work that has gone on before that moment. Doriff gives a great powerful performance and it is also nice to see Tom Berenger still seems to be getting work.

If the film had come out before the magnificent Rodrigo Cortés film, then Brake would thrill rather than stall at the cinema.

This year’s Trollhunter is a comedy horror from the Emerald Isle which may not be in the least bit original, but sure is a whole lot of fun.

Ciarán O’Shea (Richard Coyle), is a washed up policeman of sleepy Erin Island, his daily routine consisting mainly of hanging out at the pub with the local drunks. That is until a workaholic policewoman Lisa (Ruth Bradley) arrives from the Irish mainland to assist him, while his superior goes on holiday. They suddenly find themselves dealing with dead whales, decapitated fishermen and weird alien creatures or “grabbers”. The unlikely pair must overcome their differences to save the town from these extraterrestrial squid.

The film is best described as a cross between Tremors, Local Hero, Shaun of the Dead with a blend of humour from last year’s great comedy The Guard. The acting is excellent from all involved especially by Coyle and Bradley who have excellent chemistry together. Although Being Human’s Russell Tovey is exceptionally annoying in every scene that he is in.

Director Jon Wright’s film is exciting with better special effects than the previous British CGI movie Monsters. Recommended to all fans of comedic creature features.

Either Way (Á annan veg) ****

Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson / 84 mins

An Icelandic melodrama with not only heart, but with also some unexpected humour thrown in to the mixture for a refreshing piece of cinema.

Two friends, Alfred (Hilmar Guðjónsson) and Finnbogi (Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson) work together painting the dividing lines on Icelandic public roads. They only each other for company, apart from the odd visit by a jovial trucker plying them with drink . The two men’s personal differences are the source of equal parts laughter and frustration.

Firstly the film is beautifully shot with a panoramic shots of an inhabited landscape, which could also count as the fourth character in the film. The acting from the two leads is good and the action is never dull considering that the film is mainly just of road workers talking to each other about their personal lives.

A unique piece of filmmaking and an impressive feature film debut from writer director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson.

Guinea Pigs **

Director Jim Clark / 85 mins

A new claustrophobic horror film set in a research facility from a new writer/director Ian Clark is a throughly confusing and frustrating experience.

Eight strangers volunteer to take part in a two-week trial of a new drug called Pro9. The group are forbidden from using phones, internet and even leaving the building, before the tests have finished. The subjects settle in for what they think is a straight forward fortnight, but on the very first night something starts going horribly wrong as side effects from the drugs start taking over.

An interesting idea is let down by some poor acting, bad directing and a script full of plot holes. All the characters are completely unlikeable, there is no one to root for other than the infected humans who are killing other members of the cast. The decisions made by the characters at times do not make any sense at all and there are too many things that are never fully explained. The performances are very stilted and soap like. While the director does too much of the shaky camera style of action that it is hard to see what the eye is supposed to be drawn to. The sound and the ending save it from being unwatchable, but even the finale has been done before in Frank Darabont’s last film.

A fascinating, but flawed documentary that centres on a group of families who have managed to be evacuated from the disaster area in Japan. Most are retired couples, who are confused and frightened by what has happened by the nuclear disaster. Even although the director Matsubayashi was denied permission due to him being a freelancer, he decides to carry on filming while posing as an aid worker.

The film is full of interesting quirky genuine characters, especially with the old man expresses his concern about running out of the sake that drinks every day. But unfortunately the documentary is let down by a lack of material towards the end and slowly becomes less and less intriguing. Once Matsubayashi goes back to Tokyo and covers the nuclear protests it loses focus of who the film is supposed to be focusing on. This would have worked better with a shorter running time, it is still worth a look however.

Pusher **

Director Luis Prieto / 86 mins

A by the numbers remake of Nicolas Winding Refn’s 1996 debut Pusher, which is similar to most in that it is pointless and does not live up to the original.

The film tells the story of a week in the life of Frank (Richard Coyle), is a small time drug pusher in inner city London. Frank’s life soon spins out of control, when he owes a debit is owed to kingpin Milo (Zlatko Buric). Frank must pay the debt within a couple of days, otherwise Milo will get his money one way of another.

The plot follows closely to the original, but the characters have been downgraded in that they are not as conflicted or particularly threatening. The dialogue at times poorly written and some scenes do not flow as well as they did in Refn’s version. In fact it is hard to understand why he would even produce a second imitation of one of his own films. Prieto has used every cliché in the English gangster movie book from strobe-lit nightclubs to images of poor areas of London.

It is not all bad however, the performances are good especially by the fashion model Agyness Deyn who is the highlight. Although comedian Paul Kaye seems completely out of place. The music by Orbital also works well with the chase and nightclub sequences.

At the end of the day the film just goes back to the thing that it should have escaped from in the late 90’s, repetitive boring clichéd gangster films.

Lovely Molly **

Director Eduardo Sanchez / 99 mins

Sanchez who was one half of the directing team for The Blair Witch Project returns with an eerie psychological horror about demonic possession which lacks scares and is full of plot holes.

An ex heroin addict Molly (Gretchen Lodge) moves into her old family home with her hardworking truck driver Tim ( Johnny Lewis). They start to hear strange sounds from deep in the house and something starts to set off their alarm system. When Tim later departs to work, Molly begins to lose her sanity, frightening her sister and raising serious concerns from her boss. Though suspicions of a relapse into drug abuse soon surface, the reality of Molly’s situation brings back terrifying childhood memories.

For a film that bills itself as a horror, it seems strange that there is only one good scare and even that is near the start of the movie. There are scenes of real tension essentially in the moments at night in the house this is due to the great sound and editing in the film, but the payoff is always disappointing. The story has some interesting ideas in it, but similar to the supposed apparitions are completely unbelievable especially in Molly’s revelation in what happened to her as a child.

Everyone in the cast gives good performances, Lodge and Alexandra Holden who play her sister work well together. Not to mention the great haunting score by Tortoise. The audience will feel for Molly, but unfortunately characterisation is focused on more than the actual story.

William Fredkin returns to the big screen with this deeply disturbing dark comedy, that is not only tense and funny but marks a return to form from one of Hollywoods’s greatest directors.

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A young drug dealer Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) is down on his luck, but things are go from bad to worse when he hires the unexpectedly charming hit man, Killer Joe (Matthew McConaughey ). He hires the charismatic killer to murder his own mother for her $50,000 life insurance policy. With barely a dollar to his name Chris agrees to offer his younger sister, Dottie (Juno Temple), as collateral in exchange for Joe’s services until he receives the insurance money.

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Based on playwright Tracey Letts’ original award winning theatrical production of the same name. Lett’s has also adapted the screenplay for the film as well. The piece is full of great dialogue and great setups which heighten the performances and the action, which will make the audience wonder and curious for how the story unravels. Where Lett’s script lets him down is in some of the characterisations of the minor characters. In particular the mobsters who are after Chris for his money only appear in one threatening scene and that is it. Anyone would think professional criminals would be desperate for their money, but not these guys apparently.

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Matthew McConaughey makes another great return to form with a performance, in which he appears to relish performing to the audience. Even though he was great in The Lincoln Lawyer he is even better in this film. This could be due to who is behind the camera this time. It is strange that he makes Joe who is initially a bent psychopathic cop, more a likeable loner who is desperate for his only part in the family. Hirsch also continues to give good performances making the rest of us forget that he ever did Speed Racer. There is a great comedy double act in Thomas Hayden Church & Gina Gershon who play the parents who have fallen out of love with each other a long time ago. But no matter how good these actors are, it is really Temple’s movie with her subtle naive performance .

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At times it can be hard to watch especially with the scenes of graphic violence, but Killer Joe is certainly unmissable and one of the films of the year. Although this film will definitely put anyone off eating chicken drumsticks for life. It will be interesting to see what Mr Friedkin will follow this twisted, but thoroughly entertaining work.

Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara announced details of his inaugural programme for the 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). This year the Festival, which runs from 20 June to 1 July, will host nineteen World premieres and thirteen International premieres.

The Festival will showcase one hundred and twenty-one new features from fifty-two countries, including eleven European premieres and seventy-six UK premieres in addition to the World and International premieres. Highlights include the World premieres of Richard Ledes’ FRED; Nathan Silver’s EXIT ELENA, Benjamin Pascoe’s LEAVE IT ON THE TRACK and European premieres of Lu Sheng’s HERE, THERE, Yang Jung-ho’s MIRAGE in the maiden New Perspectives section; and the International premiere of Benicio Del Toro, Pablo Trapero, Julio Medem, Elia Suleiman, Gaspar Noé, Juan Carlos Tabio and Laurent Cantet’s 7 DAYS IN HAVANA and the European premiere of Bobcat Goldthwait’s GOD BLESS AMERICA in the Directors’ Showcase. In addition to the new features presented, the Festival will also host twenty-nine older titles in Retrospectives and Special Screenings, bringing the total number of feature films to one hundred and fifty across the twelve-day event.

British films competing for the Michael Powell Award will include, for the first time, documentaries contending alongside narrative films. Among them are seven World premieres: Peter Strickland’s BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, DAY OF THE FLOWERS by John Roberts, Katarzyna Klimkiewicz’s FLYING BLIND, Maja Borg’s FUTURE MY LOVE, Alex Barrett’s LIFE JUST IS; ONE MILE AWAY by Penny Woolcock and PUSHER by Luis Prieto. The Michael Powell Award contenders include Bart Layton’s THE IMPOSTER; James Marsh’s SHADOW DANCER and Martin Wallace’s SMALL CREATURES, also compete for the Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film.

The International Feature Competition, supported by Innis and Gunn, hosts a selection of outstanding new films from around the world and includes the World premieres of Mao Mao’s HERE, THEN and Alexandre O Philippe’s return to EIFF with THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PAUL THE PSYCHIC OCTOPUS. The International Feature Competition includes, for the first time, documentary films alongside narrative films. International premieres competing for the award are Jang Kun-jae’s SLEEPLESS NIGHT and Dan Sallitt’s THE UNSPEAKABLE ACT. While other titles include ONE.TWO.ONE by Mania Akbari, Oskar Alegria’s THE SEARCH FOR EMAK BAKIA, Yeon Sang-ho’s THE KING OF PIGS, David Zellner’s KID-THING; Maite Alberdi’s THE LIFEGUARD and TABU by Miguel Gomes. Two films are by co-directing couples: Clarissa Campolina and Helvécio Marins Jr’s GIRIMUNHO and Anka Sasnal and Wilhelm Sasnal’s IT LOOKS PRETTY FROM A DISTANCE. Gastón Solnicki’s PAPIROSEN and A WOMAN’S REVENGE by Rita Azevedo Gomes round out the International Feature Competition.

Focusing on two masters of their art, Spotlight on Shinya Tsukamoto and Spotlight on Wang Bing bring together a collection of their films, including Japanese cult director Tsukamoto’s latest project KOTOKO, and culminating in a Masterclass with Wang Bing, who will discuss his extraordinary documentary filmmaking career. Accompanying their respective films, ¡VIVAN LAS ANTIPODAS! and CALIFORNIA SOLO, director Victor Kossakovsky and actor Robert Carlyle, EIFF Patron, will also have on-stage In-Person events, with Victor Kossakovsky presenting a Masterclass, while Robert Carlyle is the subject of 2012’s In Person: BAFTA Scotland Interview.

EIFF Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara commented: “Our programme reflects the exceptionally vibrant state of current cinema. Our audiences will be able to explore a wide range of outstanding films from around the world, including work by established masters and films from new and emerging talents. There are also some no less exciting discoveries to be made this year in our Retrospectives. Altogether it’s a rich and diverse programme that tells, I believe, a fascinating story about where cinema is today, what it can learn from the past, and where it is going in the future.”

Jules Bishop’s BORROWED TIME, Steve Rainbow’s NFA and Scott Graham’s SHELL are the three World premieres in the new British Scenes section, where it is joined by Bryn Higgins’ UNCONDITIONAL, in a strand introducing films from the UK that are made by new filmmakers, that try out non-traditional funding models or that venture into unusual thematic areas. WHAT IS THIS FILM CALLED LOVE? by Mark Cousins receives its World premiere alongside Nicholas Ray’s WE CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN and Susan Ray’s accompanying DON’T EXPECT TOO MUCH in the new Films on Film section.

The late-night Night Moves strand sees the World premiere of Ian Clark’s GUINEA PIGS and the European premiere of Jon Wright’s GRABBERS, both from the UK, and other titles include EDDIE – THE SLEEPWALKING CANNIBAL by Boris Rodriguez, Eric Wareheim and Tim Heidecker’s TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE, the multi-directed V/H/S; Quentin Dupieux’s WRONG and Magnus Martens’ JACKPOT, based on a story by Jo Nesbo.

Highlighting EIFF’s global curatorial expanse, the Philippine New Wave examines the creativity of young independent Filipino filmmakers, and includes the World premieres of Emerson Reyes’ MNL 143 and PHILIPPINE NEW WAVE: THIS IS NOT A FILM MOVEMENT by Khavn De La Cruz among the twelve strong section. A special Focus on Denmark features Mads Brügger’s THE AMBASSADOR, Nicole N Horanyi and Heidi Kim Andersen’s AU PAIR and SIBLINGS – FOR BETTER OF WORSE by Max Kestner, Mikala Krough, Laila Hodell and Aage Rais-Nordentoft. Showcasing the vitality of filmmaking in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, Looking South brings together a collection of films including Juan Ignacio Domìnguez’s RIDING ZORRO,MÚSICA CAMPESINA [COUNTRY MUSIC] by Alberto Fuguet; and Ana Katz’s LOS MARZIANO.

The Directors’ Showcase, presenting work from the established auteurs of our time, includes Denis Côté’s BESTIAIRE, Johnnie To’s LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE, Peter Chan’s DRAGON, Asoka Handagama’s HIM, HERE AFTER, Gakuryu Ishii’s ISN’T ANYONE ALIVE?, RENT-A-CAT by Naoko Ogigami and THE REST OF THE WORLD by Damien Odoul. New Perspectives, boasting 40 titles, presents a global array of work by emerging directors also including Tetsuaki Matsue’s TOKYO DRIFTER, DJ Chen’s YOUNG DUDES, Patrik Eklund’s FLICKER, Gabe Torres’ BRAKE, Petros Sevastikoglou’s ATTRACTIVE ILLUSION and NUCLEAR NATION by Atsushi Funahashi.

EIFF’s animation tradition continues with THE 99 UNBOUND by Dave Osborne and a Special Screening of Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda’s 3D version of DR SEUSS’ THE LORAX. In addition to the animated films and shorts at the Festival, EIFF continues to showcase the best of Scottish, UK and international shorts in a series of programmes which include Romola Garai’s directorial début SCRUBBER; FUNTIMES by Joe Carter and REVOLUTIONARY MEMORIES OF BAHMAN WHO LOVED LEILA by Sarahnaz Sharifi. The experimental Black Box section also presents a series of shorts programmes from innovators of the visual art world, as well as Abigail Child’s feature-length THE SUBURBAN TRILOGY. The world of art is also represented by four free exhibitions and events across Edinburgh, through collaborations with Collective, Stills, Inspace and the Ingleby Gallery in Beyond EIFF.

Special Screenings and Festival Events throughout EIFF include the new digital restoration of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, marking the 50th anniversary of this masterpiece. The process of restoring the classic will be discussed by multi-Oscar®-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker and Grover Crisp of Sony Pictures Entertainment at the panel event FILM RESTORATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE. Returning due to popular demand will be the SURPRISE MOVIE and EIFF – UNDER THE STARS 2012, a prelude to EIFF the weekend before the Festival kicks off, when family-friendly films will get an airing in St Andrew Square Garden.

The Shinji Somai Retrospective section will be joined by a second Retrospective exploring the creations of screen comedy genius Gregory La Cava including: MY MAN GODFREY (1936), two films starring Claudette Colbert, PRIVATE WORLDS (1935) and SHE MARRIED HER BOSS (1935), and the rarely seen masterpiece UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1941). EIFF will screen six of La Cava’s films, and the Retrospective will continue at Filmhouse throughout July, with a further six films.

Special Screenings also include Penny Woolcock’s ONE DAY, Margaret Tait’s BLUE BLACK PERMANENT, Harmony Korine, Aleksei Fedorchenko and Jan Kwiecinski’s THE FOURTH DIMENSION and the World premiere of the London 2012 Festival-commissioned films by Lynne Ramsay, Mike Leigh, Asif Kapadia and Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini.

Other Special Events include MIDNIGHT SUN, accompanying a screening of the original Norwegian INSOMNIA which will give audience members an experience of the late light northern sky to celebrate summer solstice. THE BROCKAS IN FILM CONCERT will present Philippine art-rock improvisers The Brockas performing their first Edinburgh gig against the backdrop of GENGHIS KHAN, a Philippine film that originally screened at EIFF in 1952.

To help guide audiences in their exploration, for the first time this year EIFF is introducing Pathways. Each Pathway is a group of films, selected from across the different strands of the EIFF programme, that are linked by common themes or that appeal to particular tastes. Pathways include Teenage Kicks (films for 15-year-olds and upwards); Played for Laughs (films for comedy lovers); Relationships (films on love, couples and relationships) and Community & Conflict (films on themes of power, responsibility and history).

The 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival opens with William Friedkin’s KILLER JOE and closes with the European premiere of Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) announced today that William Friedkin’s thriller KILLER JOE will be the Opening Gala at the 66th edition of the Festival on Wednesday, 20 June. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon and Thomas Haden Church.

22 year-old Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch: INTO THE WILD; MILK) is a drug dealer down on his luck, but things are about to go from bad to worse when he hires the unexpectedly charming hit man Killer Joe (Matthew McConaughey: THE LINCOLN LAWYER; HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS; A TIME TO KILL) to murder his own mother for her $50,000 life insurance policy. With barely a dollar to his name Chris agrees to offer up his younger sister, Dottie (Juno Temple: upcoming DIRTY GIRL; THE DARK KNIGHT RISES; ATONEMENT), as sexual collateral in exchange for Joe’s services until he receives the insurance money. That is, if it ever does come in.

Chris Fujiwara, EIFF Artistic Director, said: “We’re delighted to be opening this year’s Festival with KILLER JOE. For my first year as Artistic Director, I intend to deliver a diverse programme that will spotlight filmmaking of real artistic distinction. William Friedkin’s exhilarating, intense, and brilliantly crafted film is absolutely in keeping with this ambition.”

The film will have its UK premiere at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre on Wednesday, 20 June, with William Friedkin and cast in attendance, and will open nationwide on 29 June.

KILLER JOE director William Friedkin said: “KILLER JOE is about the Good and Evil in everyone, the struggle for our better angels to triumph over our demons. Often lost. The thin line between the policeman and the criminal. It’s also a riff on the Cinderella story, wherein she finds her prince, but he turns out to be a hired killer. I would also like to thank the Edinburgh International Film Festival for honouring our film with this screening, uncut. Of a film the Motion Picture Association of America has expressed a desire to censor.”

KILLER JOE will be released on 29 June. As previously announced, EIFF’s Closing Gala will be the European premiere of Disney-Pixar’s BRAVE on 30 June. The EIFF runs from 20 June to 1 July 2012.